A look back at 2013 in Crossroads sports

Nearly every sport in 2013 saw a local team make it to the state tournament.

There were record breakers, new hires and gold medal-winning jumps, dives and dashes this year.

Here's a look back at some of the biggest sports stories out of the Crossroads in 2013:

Three local teams win state baseball/softball championships

The Hallettsville Brahmas (35-3) won the Class 2A state title with a 4-2 win over Hughes Springs in June.

This was the Brahmas' third UIL state baseball championship and the school's first since 1997.

Shiner St. Paul (18-5) won the TAPPS Class 1A/2A state baseball championship with a 9-2 victory over Tyler East Christian in Waco in May.

This was the fourth championship the Cardinals claimed in seven seasons.

In late May, the Weimar Lady Cats won the Class 1A softball state championship with a 2-0 victory over Ivanhoe Rayburn.

The Lady Cats became the third team and fourth state champion from District 28-1A in the previous six years.

Volleyball deja vu

The St. Joseph Lady Flyers went to the TAPPS Class 4A state championship game for the second year in a row in November.

The Lady Flyers lost five games in 2013, one of which was the state final against Carrollton Prince of Peace in four sets 19-25, 22-25, 25-20, 16-25.

The Schulenburg Lady Horns (41-4) also made their second appearance at the Class 2A state final in two years in November.

The Lady Horns lost to Bushland in five sets 25-23, 24-26, 17-25, 26-24, 15-11.

Long-time coach, Texas legend dies

Bum Phillips, a Southeast Texas native and a long-time resident of Goliad County, died at the age of 90 at his ranch in October.

A World War II veteran, Phillips coached at four Texas high schools before serving as a coach at five universities, including Texas A&M and the University of Houston.

Phillips was perhaps most famous for his time as the head coach of the Houston Oilers, becoming the winningest coach in franchise history. And, of course, that cowboy hat.

He was also head coach of the New Orleans Saints.

Phillips settled in Goliad after retiring as coach from the NFL in the mid-1980s.

Victoria West diver goes to third straight state meet

Victoria West's Mallory Draper made her third straight state meet appearance last February in the UIL State Diving Championships.

Draper was a junior and placed fifth in the one-meter competition.

After the preliminary round, she was in sixth place but competed her next 11 dives with a score of 396.60 to win the fifth spot.

Refugio QB breaks four state records

Refugio quarterback Travis Quintanilla broke four state football records in the 2013 season.

Quintanilla had already passed the state record as a junior for touchdown passes in a game (10) last year.

This season, he broke the state record for passing yards in a season (5,557 yards), passing yards in a career (14,223 yards) touchdown passes in a season (68) and career touchdown passes (186).

Refugio kicker Adolfo Cordero also set a state record with 308 career extra-point kicks.

Crossroads track stars

Several local athletes went to the state track and field meet in Austin last May.

Cuero's Abby Sheppard won her second straight gold in the Class 3A 300-meter hurdles.

Tristant Wendt, of Schulenburg, won gold for shot put in Class 2A.

Yoakum's Celine Markert won gold for discus in Class 3A. Tre'Vontae Hights also won gold for the triple jump.

El Campo's Adrianna Grant won gold for long jump in Class 3A.

The Karnes City boys won gold medals for the Class 2A 800-meter relay. Dontrell Lyons won gold for the 200-meter dash.

UHV softball makes waves

The UHV softball team won the Association of Independent Institutions tournament in May and advanced to the regional tournament in Lubbock before losing in the championship game and finishing the season with a 32-22 record and a No. 18 ranking in the NAIA national poll.

Head coach Keri Lambeth resigned in July after six seasons and a 211-97 record. Assistant Lindsay Ferguson-Ortiz was named interim head coach.

Shiner, Refugio go to state football championship game

Shiner (11-4) competed in its first state championship football game in nine years against defending Class 1A, Division I champs Stamford earlier this month at Arlington's AT&T Stadium.

The Comanches, who lost in the state semifinal last year, were defeated by the Bulldogs 41-28.

Refugio (14-2) made its second state appearance in three years when it played the undefeated Cisco Loboes.

Refugio had defeated Cisco 36-35 in the 2011 state final.

The Bobcats, who lost in the quarterfinal round last year, lost 56-36 in the Class 2A, Division II state championship.

Noteworthy

Beeville's Rogelio Salazar won gold in the Class 4A 113-pound division at the UIL State Wrestling Championship February in Austin.

Victoria East senior Kelsey Ferry became the first female varsity football player in Victoria's history. Ferry made 28 extra-point kicks.

Victoria native Jerheme Urban was named head football coach at Trinity University in San Antonio in November. Urban, who played football at Trinity, played in the NFL from 2005-10. He served as an assistant coach at Trinity for two seasons.